Iron Lung Serenade
by Glassic
Summary: Heero has been isolated for a year, until he learns that Relena is being blackmailed by a new, sinister villain. (1xR with others) Suspense, drama, revelations abound (Chapter 5 NEW!)
1. Plug in Baby

**Author's Note**: Yes! My first Heero/Relena fic (though other couples will also be featured) Moody yet subtle, a little eccentric with flourishes of romance (which is all building up and will come later, provided that this story generates _some_ kind of response.) It's a little disconnected at first, but once you recognize the link between things it'll all fall into place, I promise. With that in mind, enjoy and do drop a review or two! ^o*

Iron Lung Serenade 

by Glassic

Chpt 1: Plug in Baby

Relena cautiously perched atop her ancient wooden desk and sighed. Her sighs were always profound and sweeping – enough to make the world sympathize with this teenage princess whose childish idealism forced her into a faulty whirlwind of politics and mind games, danger and deception. 

Now her legs were tiredly crossed under the gray skirt, and her arms were stiff as they gripped the desk. Her weary and envious eyes watched outside the window – watched lovers parting at the doorway of the 38th district, watched old friends leisurely walk down memory lane with fond smiles, watched children scamper and the rising distance beyond swell up like a beautiful green prospect of happiness. 

           At her wrist was a coffeepot, at her ankle a bargain plea. And under her hair, now intertwined with flaxen suggestions, now woven back or brushed forward or twisted up in neat businesswoman buns – under it a secret too terrible and profound to dwell on for long. Ash, her fingers would become ash, her mind and eyes and watered-down heart would melt into colorless puddles. 

Biting her lip at the thought, Relena swiftly leapt off the desk and adjusted her skirt. Her life was nothing outside of the endless gray, the crushing responsibility, the clinking china and old men associates, the naïveté, and the ringing assonance of bliss scraping at her window, away from her, it was always kept away! 

Relena would have bowed her head, but the pain was still lingering. Her slim hand quietly reached up and pulled away the carefully arranged strands at the base of her neck. She shut her eyes and imagined a mirror behind her, a shocked assistant, a startled Duo, Quatre, or Heero…suddenly her eyes opened with a forced swiftness, wet from a freshened pain. Memories and pricking shards of conscience made her confront the discomfort, driving her fingers to run across the swollen patch of skin in spite of her winces and gritted teeth. 

Relena's hand quickly dropped into her lap, and with a painful shrug she slipped her smooth locks of hair back over one shoulder, so as to once more conceal her neck and the glaring reminder of terrible things and irrational men - all an omen of an crooked world yet to come. Relena slowly lowered herself to the floor, stretching out on the plush carpet of her office. She rested sideways, with her palms beneath her head and her hair sloping down in a shimmering waterfall down the curve of her prone form to brush the beige hued carpeting. _A barcode_, she thought with a wry smile that threatened to crack her face. _What…what did I do?_

~ 

           Heero was tightly gripping the metal railing atop a deeply rumbling truck that ferociously quaked and dragged across the rocky desert terrain. His loose brown locks played against his forehead in the wind, and obscured his stormy eyes. The muscles and veins in his arms were taut from his fierce grip, as his loose shirt and gauzy muslin disguise flapped in the wind. The desert seemed a searing sea of blankness before him, with the sun's harsh white light permeating the cloudless sky and reflecting off the billions of restless grains. Shimmering waves of mirage rose from the scorched sand, obscuring the distance and distorting Heero's perception. Heero blinked once, relieving his reddened and sand-stung eyes. 

He didn't need to see. He only needed to keep his eyes open.

Heero recognized Duo's muffled Arabic call as a signal and lowered himself to the floor of the rumbling caravan, while tapping out a message on his communicator. Presently, Sally Po emerged from the passenger seat, dressed in a jewel green cloak and brown sash. Her eyes were tired yet intense as she eyed Heero's hunched form. He looked up for a moment, noting the concern in her eyes.

"It's Relena," she whispered, not caring for him to begin. "She's…cancelled the operation. But I think –"

"We have no choice but to carry out the mission now," interrupted Heero gruffly, irritated at the princess' unusual demand and his own wasted effort. 

Sally nodded and lowered her eyes. "I know…and we will. I've ordered a shuttle to bring her to Earth to meet with us once the mission is completed. I…think she's hiding something, though. Her voice and expression seemed strained. She could be under political blackmail or something similar. We have to find out as soon as possible."

Heero clicked off his transmitter and tilted his head up to face Sally. "So, I'll be assigned–"

"Yeah," Sally confirmed simply, already turned on her heel to return to the passenger seat. "We'll brief you further after Riam D'Abur's dead. You do have your data storage kit, right?" Heero lifted the slim silver cartridge from his belt and Sally nodded, "Good. We approach at 0900 hours." With a ruffle of skirts and clicking heels, she was gone.

Heero stared pointedly ahead, defying the sun with his brazen eyes while allowing his head to move synchronized with the tremors of the passing truck. A dozen situations and possibilities came to mind: another kidnapping, a colony threat, explosives, intrigue, undercover agents…but they all melted away in the presence of that one terrifying conclusion. Heero whipped out the communicator once more, with gritted teeth and fury-darkened eyes.

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So, the appearance of the cliffhanger – everyone's favorite, right? If you got this far, (and before you go any further) review please! Eh, I have a plan but its tentative. Can you tell that I love description? *cheesy grin* Anyway, I have some pressing math homework to get to now. Be sure to stay tuned until the next posting of "Iron Lung Serenade" (derived from/inspired by my favorite Radiohead song! whee!)


	2. No Surface All Feeling

**Author's Note**: So it _will_ continue! I'm so ecstatic that you guys like this - thanks to every kind and constructive person that had graciously conceded to spend time reviewing my story. There's nothing more gratifying for an author, and I'll definitely try to incorporate as many of your suggestions as possible. A generic response: I promised a plot and plan to deliver on it (though the reminder was…thoughtful) As for the 'happy romantic conclusion'…we'll see. Mind you, hopefully that'll still be some time away. In the meantime, (please forgive that it's so short) here's what I have for you wonderful, wonderful people.

Iron Lung Serenade 

by Glassic

Chpt. 2: No Surface All Feeling

           Relena felt a soft, wavering hand settle on her shoulder. She flinched slightly, capturing her lower lip in fear and kindling rage. Relena couldn't bear support at this time – if she accepted it, she feared that she might cave in and disclose all the details. _And then that would be the end of me_, she thought bitterly, forcing her expression to straighten as she swiveled in her chair to face a sympathetic Noin. Relena's eyes quickly flicked upward as she sighed, attempting to keep the impending tears from trickling down her face and giving her away. Noin gave Relena a feeble smile and passed a stack of papers into her hands.

           "Relena…reconsider your orders, will you? We're just one step away from capturing D'Abur. There's no chance for us after this…I just don't understand –"

           "Noin," Relena held up a faltering hand and looked Noin in the eyes with some difficulty, "I know that…what I'm doing is for the best. This is the best option!" And as Relena shut her eyes she thought in desperation, _This is the only option_. 

Only Relena knew the connections, knew the reason why Quatre was lying on the verge of death in some undisclosed location, knew why the mission had to be cancelled – for fear that more dire intentions would be eventually be carried out, as promised. Inwardly, though she would never verbally acknowledge it, she was somewhat relieved that she didn't have an option – relieved that, no matter what, Heero would not have to be subjected to the danger of another mission. She swallowed a twisting knot of fear and bile that had risen in her throat, and glanced around her office with nervous eyes. She sought the blinking lights or metallic disc that would indicate that the room was bugged or being monitored – further proof that her fate was sealed. Who could she tell, and how? Relena's musings were interrupted by Noin's distressed interjection:

"Relena, we can't get in contact with any of the three. We fear that…_I_ fear that they may have gone to Dubai anyway, and –"

"But the message must have reached them in time! How could they disregard my order?! Don't they realize that there was a reason for this?! If he finds out – no, I, can't…" Relena gripped herself as she felt herself slipping from reality. Her eyelids fluttered as her hands streaked down her face in despair. 

Noin leapt from her seat, and with an alarmed expression on her face shook the shoulders of the young foreign minister, who by then had already lapsed into a brief unconsciousness.

~ 

           "Stay down," Heero coarsely whispered, seconds after kicking the heavy wooden door inwards. The lamps inside were quickly extinguished by nervous fingers, though Heero caught a sufficient glimpse of the conspirators. They were aggravated as they glanced over their shoulders, then startled as Heero's gun was suddenly suspended in the empty black air between them, and with that deciding click the room was silenced. Wufei's flashlight bounced erratically from one distressed face to the next, all the while seeking the red tunic and calm, calculating eyes of their leader, D'Abur. A low, leering voice suddenly rose from among the group: "You work for Master Quatre, yes?" 

Heero gripped his gun with both hands and glanced sharply to his right, as a pistol bullet sped towards him through the darkness, whizzing past his cheek and wedging itself deep in the portico wall behind his head. Without hesitation, Heero raised his gun and immediately fired in the same direction of the shot. There was an indistinct cry and a clang of metal as one of the shadows slumped forward. 

Without further delay, Wufei shone his beam on the side of Heero's face as he began to speak in slow, menacing tones: 

"Surrender D'Abur," Heero continued with eyes narrowed, "What you did will not be forgiven. However, if you surrender D'Abur now, the rest of you shall be spared." A lump could be seen rising in Heero's throat at the memory, and his mouth was twisted into a bitter expression. His eyes flicked back up to the ring of criminals as he heard footsteps echoing down the hall.

           Sally ran furiously down the small corridor, struggling to keep her scarf over her mouth and face. A stray curl escaped her burqa as she approached Wufei, pink and breathless. She could sense the tenseness in his muscles, and his cautionary stance at the doorway. His head suspiciously turned to face her, then softened with relief as he quickly plucked the lantern out of her startled hand. Wufei held it up, but the dusty air kept the faces of the conspirators dim and indefinite. 

Heero glanced at the lantern, and, sensing the desperation of the situation, as well as the possibility of another gunshot, knocked it out of Wufei's hand with his elbow. The lantern pitched forward in an wide arc, shattering in the small clearing before Heero and spilling liquid fire. All the shadowy figures scurried backwards like frightened animals, save for one, whose ironic expression was exaggerated by the firelight. He was only a youth, perhaps in his twenties, but the deadly, calculating eyes and wise, smirking mouth conveyed a menacing presence that far surpassed his years. 

Heero immediately sniped a shot at the calmly seated man, striking him a second too late – as D'Abur had already risen, and the bullet only wedged itself into his abdomen. D'Abur was thrown backward, but regained his composure quickly and wiped at his mouth, now bleeding from the impact, with a intimidating look on his face. Heero suspected that D'Abur was wearing a bulletproof vest, and struggled to reload his gun and attempt another shot. He paused midway when he noticed a familiar metallic shape glinting in D'Abur's left hand.

"Run," he commanded in a raspy voice, roughly shoving Wufei out of the doorway. As Heero himself swiftly backed out, a rain of bullets, presumably from a drone gun, peppered the wall that they had previously been standing before.

The three rushed out, following Heero's lithe footsteps as he navigated through the labyrinth of D'Abur's hideout. Sally covered her head with her arms as she ran, stooping low with Wufei at her side. As they ran in desperation, Wufei gripped her sleeve roughly, almost ripping the fabric.  Though she couldn't read his expression, Sally could sense the rough anxiety he exuded. 

"Did you –"

"Yes," Sally yelped in response, slightly lifting her long skirt momentarily to reveal the diskette that was wedged in her ankle strap. A slight explosion shook them both, and Wufei gripped Sally to quickly steady her as they continued to chase after Heero.

Avoiding the entrance, which Heero suspected was now alerted and surrounded by D'Abur's cronies, Heero leapt into a small, dark clearing, pressing his back against the cool stone. Sally and Wufei were soon pulled in as well, and all three held their breath as confused shouts and sharp directives were heard nearby.

~ 

Twenty minutes after she had been revived, twenty minutes after the future had been shattered, Relena sat stiffly upright, feeling cold and terribly helpless in her cramped office. Now she was surrounded by secretaries and Noin's subordinates, who had been instructed to extract whatever information they could when Relena felt prepared to disclose it. 

When they all started to discuss things amongst themselves, Relena sank back into her chair, feeling drained. Her weary eyes caught sight of a curiously folded note on her desk, written on aged yellow paper. Her fingers secretly knocked the note off her desk, as she carefully held it in her lap and unfolded the curled edges. Perhaps it was one of the funny poems that Duo liked to send over, or an invitation from Hilde for lunch. _Anything to distract me from this…_

As Relena read, she pressed a shaking hand to her throat, which was now slick with sweat. In small, deliberate handwriting, the scrawled message read:

"R. Peacecraft:

Instructions have not been carried out. Three spies sent to Dubai must be recalled and executed immediately or Kirtan Plan shall go into effect as planned. Further instructions are to be given. You are to excuse yourself at 2300 hours to stand at the corner of Tremain St. and the 38th district parallel. There, a newspaper boy shall escort you…"

The note continued, although Relena's eyes were too blurred with tears to read further. The sense of dread in her chest expounded to something terrible, and her fist closed silently on the withered note.

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^__~_ Well? What d'ya think? This all came out in one long, dramatic sweep, and now I'm suddenly struck with all this inspiration for the next chapter(s). I love action sequences, as I'm sure you can tell. Anyway, expect Relena to be taking some initiative, and for something dramatic and/or heartwarmingly sweet to happen. I haven't decided yet, actually. Satisfied? Unsatisfied? I don't care – drop a review!


	3. Inertia Creeps

**Author's Note**: Here it is: the third chapter in my little GW drama. Sorry for the massive delay, but that looming specter, the SATs, has wrung out my brains thoroughly. I'm surprised that I could even eke out this chapter for you guys. Anyway, it's the same deal this time – read, enjoy, review. It would absolutely make my day to hear some comments or feedback. As for the plot, well Relena _is_ taking some risks, and more cliffhangers, and …(etc., etc.)  P.S – an apology in advance to Fantine Kid A for sort of stealing your title for this one, but it was just _too_ appropriate to pass up!

**Iron Lung Serenade**

Chapter 3 – Inertia Creeps

Alone, Relena concentrated on pressing her fingertips together before her weary eyes. Beyond her, the room was flooded in harsh white fluorescence. There was still that silly circular arrangement of chairs around her desk, and ahead of that a constant sound of ticking that dripped into her conscious. Her paranoia would scream that it was a bomb, and her logic would insist that it was only the clock. The two collided behind the empty façade of her face, and there was no resolution in sight. She was such a wreck. 

Her fingers lowered to the desktop, slipping to the edges. With one fierce push, she was propelled backwards, and her chair spun and deposited her a few feet away. She took her first hesitant steps, surprised to feel her body shivering, and then her desperation and responsibility melted into a kind of determination as she gathered her things and clicked off the lights of her office. The clock read 10:55.

  ~ 

Sally felt the cold stone through the thin cloth of her disguise, but still she stayed pressed against the wall, crouching in pitch-blackness. She extended a hesitant hand to her left, brushing it against the floor as if to seek something. Finally, her fingertips grazed against warm skin, and she quietly clasped the back of Wufei's hand. It was veined and tense, almost unresponsive, but its presence gave her the comfort she needed. 

With her left hand, she hesitantly brushed her fingertips to her left, exploring the damp crevices of stone. She recognized the presence of a long corridor, and realized that in their vanishing time frame, it may have been their only escape. Her fingers entwined with Wufei's as she stood, hesitantly, and edged her way to the left. Wufei, too, was awakened from his brooding stance and rose silently. 

Heero stood motionless, with his muscles and posture tense from trying to listen for the progress of D'Abur's men. Apparently they had already vanished somewhere in the dark labyrinth. Flickering orange circles of light were created by their lanterns as they progressed silently and menacingly. Heero looked up, with his eyes glittering darkly, and lifted himself from the ground wordlessly.

He and Wufei followed Sally's hesitant motions as she stumbled over the uneven floor. Fighting back tears, she wondered vaguely if she would be condemned to die in this darkness – of hunger or exhaustion or at the glint of D'Abur's sword. As these thoughts swirled and clouded her spirit, she found her eyes straining on something impossible and uplifting – a wet reflection of light. Sally bit her lip and squeezed Wufei's hand tightly as she advanced on the light – a promise of either their escape or their end…

~ 

            The wind was biting, and Relena pulled her black jacket around her more tightly as she clutched her elbows and struggled to keep her teeth from chattering. The streetlights in this district were pale and low – merely a jaded blue color against the inky black of the sky. Frustrated and anxious, Relena leaned against a brick building and tried to smooth her wind-tangled hair. Sighing, she casually glanced upwards at the towering black buildings that surrounded her. Yellow lights suffused out of a few windows, a sign that the city was still awake. The digits on her watch glowed a perpetual 10:58 as she pulled her sunglasses down over her face with a shaking, cold-stricken hand. As Relena moved, she felt the icy metal of her pistol press into the bare skin of her hip and winced slightly.

            She shut her eyes briefly, only to open them again when she heard the sound of scraping footsteps nearby. Slowly stepping away from the wall, Relena set her jaw firmly and braced herself for the encounter. A young boy hobbled to where she stood, wearing a cap and carrying a false stack of newspapers at his back. He set them down carefully at the street corner, and then moved to stand directly before her with a hesitant stance and downcast eyes. Relena regarded him warily, before relaxing and crouching down to meet his eye.

"Will you direct me to where I have to go?" she asked softly, with a tinge of sadness breaking up her voice. With his face still tilted downwards, the boy smiled and asked for her hand. She carefully extended her hand, which he clasped with his own cold, bloodless ones. 

"Walk ahead for two blocks and stop at the divider," he rasped in an indistinct voice. Relena swallowed her fear and nodded, standing up decisively as her long stride carried her forward, with the strange boy walking at her heels and whispering foreign words into a concealed receiver. She stopped at the divider, clenching and unclenching her fists as her hair flew across her eyes with each new gust of wind. She turned her head to seek out the newspaper boy, who was already walking down one street and about to disappear into the doorway of a seemingly abandoned building. Under the cover of her jacket, she swiftly unholstered the gun from her hip, cocked it, and slipped it up her sleeve. She also activated the command link that she had clipped into the collar of her jacket – a direct link to Duo and Trowa. Through a series of encoded notes, she had conveyed her intentions to them earlier that evening. Now her gaze swung to the left, watching as warm yellow light suffused out of the door that was held open for her. With her heart thumping in her chest and her footsteps stiff and unnatural, she approached the doorway and peered inside.

            Within, there was a sparse, rectangular dinner table, where three men sat. Their faces were bearded, gruff, and indefinite. They all looked to her simultaneously, without expression. Relena sensed a trap. She lowered her eyes and ascended the steps, with her lips moving in silent and fervent prayer.

"Miss Relena," said a familiar, smooth voice. The same voice that had so thoroughly haunted her nightmares… A lithe, well-built figure blocked the light at the doorway, and extended his hand cordially to capture her own. 

"I'm so glad you could make it," he continued, flashing her the white glint of his smile. She quickly released her hand from his grip, and walked past him into the room. The newspaper boy had gone to light the fireplace, and one of the strange men motioned to an empty seat for her. Locking the door, the handsome man who had greeted Relena strode across the room and pulled out the chair for her. Relena bit her lip to keep it from quivering, and quietly accepted the seat.

"What have you done to them, Sivehn?" she whispered, angry when her emotion choked her voice. The man called Sivehn carelessly occupied the seat across from her, gave her a sideways glance. A brief show of anger and frustration flashed across his sharp, clear-cut features, before he regained his composure. He leaned forward, and his short, golden-blonde hair slipped over his eyes and shone in the candlelight.

"They have stolen something that is…mine," he replied, his voice tight. He pressed his fingertips together and looked at Relena with that penetrating blue stare as he continued. "The woman in this group, she infiltrated our defenses and stole an important disk from our databases." Relena felt her wrists being handled by rough hands, and an electric belt snapped across the seat, rendering her immobile. She glared at Sivehn and spat. "What is this?" she demanded, struggling in vain against her constraints. 

Sivehn only lowered his eyes and continued, "What I will require from you, Miss Relena," he said softly, "is a retrieval of that disk, before copies can be made and distributed." His eyes snapped up to hers, and his fingers reached out to lift her head to meet his gaze. She felt something hard and metallic press into the back of her neck, no doubt a tracker that would detonate if mishandled. Relena squeezed her eyes shut and gave a stifled sob. "Achieve this in any way that you can. They trust you, Miss Relena," he said, smiling sadly, "and I know that you won't fail me." 

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Eeps! That was weird….Trust me all you skeptics, the plot is surely moving along now! And that promised HxR stuff that you all were looking forward to will also show up sooner or later. Well. I'm hoping for chapter updates every week or so now, but of course it partly depends on you guys and _response_, if you know what I mean. K


	4. Duck and Run

**Author's Note**: The fourth chapter unfolds, and I promise, the much-anticipated reunion is close at hand. Now, esteemed reader, no more interruptions. ;-)

Iron Lung Serenade 

Chapter 4 – Duck and Run

Wufei moved ahead to shield Sally as the three Preventers cautiously maneuvered their way through the dank and dripping halls of D'Abur's cave, fastened to that one light, that one hope that shimmered so elusively in the distance. The light grew stronger now and flickered. Sally bit her lip and felt cold dread shoot through her veins - foreign voices had also become clearer as they approached. 

Heero pressed his back to the stone wall and motioned for the others to do the same. He swiftly and cautiously pulled out his revolver and scraped the metal barrel over the dark, wet stone. One of the men, attentive to the noise, laughed and stepped into their corridor.  
"Harid?" he called out, expecting a familiar response. Puzzled, the guard took a few more steps toward Heero's position in the darkness. Deftly, Heero struck out from his corner and pressed the barrel of his gun to the guard's neck as he pinned the man's shoulders to the wall. Within seconds, Sally pressed her burqa to the guard's mouth to act as a sort of gag, while Wufei secured his rifle. Heero pressed his fingers into the man's throat, long enough to allow him to lose consciousness. 

As the man slumped to the floor, Heero pulled off the guard's military cap and placed it on his own head, pulling the brim low over his eyes. He and Wufei cocked their guns simultaneously, and on Heero's signal, they appeared at the doorway of the room of unsuspecting revelers. 

~ 

Relena lowered her head and allowed her limp, honey-blonde hair to fall over her face. Her wrists and ankles chafed at her constraints, and her mouth felt parched. Sivehn and his associates had since disappeared into the control room, to map out plans and deliver commands via satellite link to D'Abur's site. Relena wanted to scream for her helplessness, and could only bite her lip in frustration as she distantly heard Sivehn's booming voice somewhere down the corridor. The gun she brought with her had long since slipped out of her sleeve and clattered to the floor, and Sivehn had angrily summoned the newspaper boy to carry it away, sneering at Relena's intended treachery. Relena shut her eyes momentarily, sick with futility and despair. Suddenly, Relena remembered the comm. link that was clipped within her collar, and maneuvered her restraints to rest her chin on her collarbone, whispering words into the metal chip that, to her dismay, she found had never functioned properly at all.

"Are you praying Miss Relena?" a strained, familiar voice asked from behind. There was a sound of clicking heels as Relena's blood froze under the influence of shock. Turning her head slightly, Relena peered through her screen of honey-blonde hair that she did not have the capacity to push away, barely able to discern the features of the woman behind her. After a moment of hesitation, Relena whispered, in a voice soft and strung through with dread, 

"Dorothy?"

The unidentified woman stepped forward briskly past Relena and stopped a few feet down the corridor. She wore a deep red ensemble, with two jeweled black high-heeled shoes glinting beneath the hem of her skirt. The woman then spun around swiftly to face Relena, wearing a falsely piteous expression and clasping her hands behind her back as her long, white-blonde hair swirled about her. Relena could clearly identify Dorothy, and as she opened her mouth to speak and question, Dorothy flew forward and put a finger to her lips, shaking her head. She took a step back and smirked at Relena.

"Oh, but to see you again Miss Relena! In all of your glory, at the very pinnacle of your power…" Dorothy curtsied and dipped her head low in a scornful bow. Relena found that she had lost the ability to speak.

"You want to know, perhaps, why I am here?" Dorothy shrugged one shoulder and smiled a secret little lopsided smile. Relena parted her lips and squinted in rage and disgust at the girlish woman who stood before her.

"You mean that you and Sivehn…"

"Yes, yes, and yes! You see, my dear princess, I have found where my true loyalties lie. Now, would you care for a glass of water Miss Relena? Your voice seems terribly cracked."

Relena set her teeth and glared at the smirking, mocking, black-heeled woman before her. She strained her wrists against their confines and hissed,

"At least let me go. I can't serve any purpose to you or Sivehn restrained like this." 

Dorothy assumed an expression of mock-contemplation, and suddenly Sivehn's silhouette emerged from the shadows.

"I suppose you're right, Minister Peacecraft," he said, polishing his glasses with a cloth and glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "You have quite a mission before you." 

Sivehn slipped an arm around Dorothy's waist and whispered for her to free the constraints. Dorothy did so, with resentment etched on her features. 

"You know full well about the detonating sensor we've implanted," said Sivehn, with his eyes still focused on polishing the lens of his glasses, "And I trust that you won't try anything rash. We hear and see everything. Everything."

Relena stood from the chair shakily, and pressed her palm firmly to the tabletop.

"Give me your word now, Sivehn. Stop this now."

Sivehn's eyes snapped up, and he looked displeased. "Not until I see that you've carried out your task. Now I think we understand each other perfectly." Sivehn snapped his fingers, and a burly man appeared in the doorway of the control room. "Gareth will show you out."

And with that, Relena's arm was gripped roughly as she was pulled away from the table. Dorothy smiled and waved, even as Relena was pushed out the doorway and the door had slammed abruptly in her face. 

~ 

     Three off-duty guards had been leaning casually on a natural rock shelf, with a decanter of liquor between them and three or four lanterns at their side. Their laughter was cut short as Heero and Wufei advanced with merciless looks in their eyes. Heero extended his arm and shot each of the men's guns out of their holsters one by one. Aiming carefully, he shot one of the guns again as it lay on the floor, and the ricochet effect caused it slide in the opposite direction toward Heero. He kicked it towards a startled Sally, who picked up the gun and glared at the guards, in spite of her shaking aim. 

"Where is the exit?" demanded Wufei, accosting the guard closest to him. The guard swallowed once and motioned to the wall behind him. His hand dropped suddenly. The dark-skinned guard at his side, taking this as a signal, lowered his outstretched palms to swiftly reach for his fallen rifle. 

Heero aimed and took shot, and Sally stifled a scream as she watched the man slide downwards, proceeded only by a trail of dark, glittering red. Wufei struck both of the remaining cowering guards firmly with the butt of his rifle as Sally pressed anxious fingers to the wall of the cave behind them, seeking a hidden spring or other secret passage.

Heero moved across the room to examine a control panel that had been hidden by the decanter of liquor. Sally soon gave up her pursuit to join him in his study of the row of illuminated buttons.

"Of course," she whispered, tapping the buttons in a fleeting, well-established pattern that she had committed to memory. She had seen D'Abur use such a sequence when she had been sent to retrieve the disk. 

There was a rumbling of stone, followed by a sharp click. Wufei and Heero set their backs to the wall and pushed outward. A hinge had been revealed, and the stone obstruction slowly budged under the pressure of their combined force. As the opening widened, Heero was finally able to get out, and as Wufei followed, he slipped his hand back in to grope for Sally's. She reached for it gratefully, but just as soon as her fingers had brushed his, they were yanked back. Sally screamed for Wufei the instant contact was broken, and in his fury and shock Wufei violently pressed himself through the small opening, pointing his gun at nothing. The revived guard had snuffed out the lantern as soon as Wufei stepped foot on the stone floor, and secretly stood at the far end of the room, pressing the nozzle of his gun against Sally's temple. Wufei remembered his flashlight, and with smooth swift movements, he managed to point it straight ahead, highlight the vaguely surprised face of Sally's assailant, and fire his gun at the same circle of shifty, yellowed light. Sally, upon prying herself loose, immediately dropped to the floor like Wufei to avoid the onslaught of ricocheted bullets. Wufei lifted himself up on elbow, and stared ahead at the dusty darkness. 

"Sally?" he said experimentally, his voice inevitably choked-up. When he had seen her drop to the floor like that…

"Wufei," affirmed a small, weak voice at the opposite end of the room. Wufei immediately raised himself, and strode in the direction of her sound. He knelt to the ground and reached out, touching her hair. He slid his hands down and gripped her shoulders, causing her to stand up with him. There was blood in her hair and across her cheeks and neck. Was it hers? Sally looked up at his silhouette, and slowly leant forward, pressing her cheek against his chest and simply closing her eyes. Wufei looked down uncertainly and heard her small gasps of horror start to subside. Wanting equally to hold her close and push her away, Wufei quietly suffered the tightness and anxiety he had always felt around her. Only when Heero's shadow blocked the weak light of the cave exit did he stir, grip Sally's arm, and lead her to safety. 

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Finally, the prologue/explanation is coming to a close, and the real story shall begin. Next chapter: the much-awaited 'reunion'!


	5. Surrendering

_Author's Note_: Yayy I've got my momentum back! A special aside + thanks to my reviewers, especially those repeat offenders ;-). Y'all are so flattering - I really appreciate it! So here for you now, the fifth installment is complete – the meeting/reunion/transition chapter---

Iron Lung Serenade 

Chapter 5 – Surrendering

_He is anyone's dark rebel to drown in. _

Relena slid out of her seat and stretched delicately. She slipped into her sandals and flashed a flustered smile at Duo, who held the door for her with a mock bow and a grin. She felt a pang of anticipation and dread as she ducked under the airplane exit and faced the sharp light of morning.

Relena's lush hair was left loose, and it swirled across her face and neck in the wind. She leaned on the banister of the folding staircase of the aircraft, and shielded her eyes with her hand as she scanned the bluish pink glow of the dunes under the light of dawn.

"They should be arriving soon, Princess," said Duo hesitantly, sensing her remoteness and sensitivity. Relena turned her head halfway to face him and smiled weakly, nodding. He disappeared down a corridor and she released an unwitting sigh; it was all she could do to keep from breaking down into sobs. She had scarcely had a few moments of silence and reflection before Lieutenant Jaquith approached her, tapping her shoulder.

Relena jumped, then turned and stuttered an apology, struggling to regain her breath. Lt. Jaquith saluted briskly, trying to ignore his sense of concern at her actions.

"Minister Peacecraft, I think it should be brought to your attention," began the lieutenant, sighing, "the search for Mr. Winner will have to be delayed. With this…situation at hand, our time and resources are already stretched too thin. Rest assured that several private organizations are also actively searching for your friend Quatre, and it is my hope that we'll be able to resume our efforts in the very near future." Relena stiffened with a flood of guilt at the thought. She parted her lips to address the commander, then panicked slightly when she saw two figures clad in Arabian military garb, trekking down the dunes and approaching the helicopter just beyond the lieutenant's head. Lt. Jaquith turned slowly to follow her fixed, alarmed stare.

"At ease, men!" she heard Lieut. Jaquith yelling to his soldiers. He excused himself quickly and ran down the airplane stairs. Relena relaxed and shifted her position, and tried to quell the trembling of her lower lip. Now she stood, quietly suffering and helpless, yet determined to find the needed loophole and convey the necessary information. _Would you listen, Heero?_

~ 

The first thing Heero saw was her pale silk skirt, which swirled about her legs in the sandy breezes and nearly him drove him mad. Then her slim hands, knitted together in anxiety before her, and her long tresses that flowed gently about her face. But her eyes were her most arresting feature, gleaming soft blue even from where he stood, and radiating recognition and worry. With slow fingers he reached up to untie the piece of cloth that protected his face from the sand. Heero wanted her to see him, pick him out, recognize him. 

"Yuy, slow down," muttered Wufei, who kept pace with a weak but composed Sally. Heero paid Wufei no heed, stepping ever-faster and swifter against the hindering wind toward the white airplane that perched bird-like on the incline of the towering dune.  Sally smiled knowingly, and groaned slightly from the exertion. Wufei turned to her, and wordlessly swept her into his arms, allowing them both to speed up and match Heero's pace. Sally scoffed and squirmed a bit.

"This isn't necessary, you know," she said, frowning at her own helplessness. Wufei nodded, staring into the distance. He glanced down at her for a long, still moment.

"Then I'm sorry," he finally said, readjusting her in his arms so that her head was propped against his shoulder. Sally looked up at him quietly, secretly. She admired the firm line of his jaw, and, after a final struggle, sighed and allowed herself to go completely limp in his arms. Wufei raised an eyebrow and swallowed thickly, but said nothing.

Relena watched, dazed, from the platform. The space between her and Heero continued to shrink, as the sun rose slowly in the sky. The moment was eternal, timeless, and static. 

Lt. Jaquith quickly dispatched his men to retrieve the Preventer's truck, which had long since coughed to death a few miles back. The lieutenant approached Heero first, shaking his hand and delivering a terse sentiment of appreciation before quickly delving into a discussion about D'Abur and his suspected whereabouts. Heero nodded and blinked in concentration, trying to focus on the commander's words. Relena stood only a few feet above, with her skirt still billowing and her eyes still frozen and lovely, like a statue or a vague memory from a dream. He would not, could not meet her questioning, wondering gaze. 

When they reached the clearing, Wufei quickly set Sally on her feet as he walked towards the small encampment where Jaquith's soldiers were poring over a map. Sally wobbled a bit, trying to regain her balance on legs long kept in disuse. She made her way to where Relena stood, gazing and forlorn. 

"Sally," said Relena listlessly, and she smiled expertly, mechanically. Sally could see through it immediately.

"Let's go inside," said Sally, taking Relena by the elbow, and casting a last worried glance below.

~ 

Heero's eyes flicked back to the lieutenant's expectant stare. He ran a hand through his hair and murmured, "We should be leaving soon. The situation here isn't safe."

"We've experienced a fuel leakage," said the lieutenant, shaking his head. "We've decided to dock here for the time being. Fuel reinforcements are already on the way."

Heero's face darkened. "With all due respect, sir," he slowly began, "We're in the middle of the Namibian desert. You haven't taken many measures to keep this aircraft concealed," he motioned to the obscenely large, gleaming whiteness of the plane, "And D'Aburs forces can't be more than a few hours away. We have recovered something of theirs that they consider very valuable."

Lieutenant Jaquith shifted his weight to one foot and studied Heero. "You mean to say, they're still in pursuit?"

"That's my belief," said Heero tersely, saluting to be excused. "If you don't mind," he said over his shoulder, "I'd like to go with the men to recover the truck. It'll give me a chance to scan the terrain for any Arab soldiers."

The lieutenant cupped his hand to his mouth and called, "Forget that commander. They're already miles ahead by now."

But Heero had set out regardless, strapping his gun across his chest and taking off in the direction of the tire tracks. He sought something, anything, to shake off his distraction and keep him focused on the mission. 

~ 

Afternoon light streamed through the windows of her jet, as Relena picked at her food delicately with her fork. She didn't quite know what she was waiting for. Sally had left her in frustration a few hours before, unable to extract the true cause for Relena's detachment and depression. But Relena had determined long ago that she would not endanger Sally's life or anyone else's by disclosing her mistakes, her foolish entanglement with Sivehn, D'Abur, and their cronies. Sivehn would stop with her, he would and must be content with her sacrifices. If she didn't take risks, if she didn't seek help, she could save the world. Relena shut her eyes tightly, briefly. Her own life was the only one she could tolerate sacrificing.

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I picked up this project again after waaay too long – kindly excuse any discrepancies/inconsistencies amidst the chapters, kay? Sorry if this wasn't the tears-embrace-kisses-type reunion that some of you may have been hoping for – that's just *far* too out of character for them, in my opinion. 'Sides, that all comes later. ;-p


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